TB983 the Role of Forest Management in Maintaining
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ncasi NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR AIR AND STREAM IMPROVEMENT THE ROLE OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IN MAINTAINING CONSERVATION VALUES TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 983 APRIL 2011 by Dr. Darren J.H. Sleep NCASI Montreal, Quebec Kirsten Vice NCASI Montreal, Quebec Dr. T. Bently Wigley NCASI Clemson, South Carolina Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the review and comments provided by Dr. Alan Lucier, Senior Vice President of NCASI. For more information about this research, contact: Darren J.H. Sleep, Ph.D. Kirsten Vice Senior Forest Ecologist Vice President, Canadian Operations NCASI NCASI P.O. Box 1036, Station B P.O. Box 1036, Station B Montreal, Quebec H3B 3K5 Canada Montreal, QC H3B 3K5 Canada (514) 286-9690 (514) 286-9111 [email protected] [email protected] For information about NCASI publications, contact: Publications Coordinator NCASI P.O. Box 13318 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3318 (919) 941-6400 [email protected] Cite this report as: National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI). 2011. The role of forest management in maintaining conservation values. Technical Bulletin No. 983. Research Triangle Park, N.C.: National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. © 2011 by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. ncasi serving the environmental research needs of the forest products industry since 1943 PRESIDENT’S NOTE The diversity of living things, or “biodiversity,” has become one of the prime features of our biosphere that society values. However, quantifying, assessing and describing the goals and values of biodiversity conservation and quantifying human effects on biodiversity can be daunting. Biodiversity, irrespective of its value, is a concept that is difficult to define and challenging to measure. One method by which biodiversity values can be indirectly measured is through the use of indicators and criteria. Concepts such as “fragmentation”, “endemism”, and “representation” are useful in that they offer a framework under which effects of human intervention can be measured, and areas can be identified for conservation that are likely to help maintain biodiversity at some scale. To help understand these issues, NCASI participated in a review of criteria and indicators, which subsequently resulted in a 2005 publication by the Yale School of Forestry that reviewed the criteria used by global conservation organizations in the designation of conservation priorities around biodiversity. This report extends that earlier work. Here, we review these same conservation criteria, but examine them on a scientific basis, where it is appropriate to do so. Some criteria used are directly measurable and quantifiable, and are directly linked with certain aspects of biodiversity. Other criteria tend to be relative, and are more connected with social norms and desires, or public perceptions, rather than with ecological or environmental sciences. Where possible, the report clearly distinguishes the two influences (ecological/environmental or social), and links each criterion based in science with the supporting literature. Finally, the report links conservation criteria with forest management and aspects of forest research and utilization that are designed to enhance achievement of these criteria and hence aid in the long- term conservation of biodiversity. The report also documents where information is lacking and research gaps exist, in the hopes of raising new questions and research programs to meet these needs. While the report focuses primarily on forest management and its relationship to biodiversity in a Canadian context, the concepts and lessons have broad application wherever sustainable forest management is applied. Ronald A. Yeske April 2011 National Council for Air and Stream Improvement ncasi serving the environmental research needs of the forest products industry since 1943 NOTE DU PRÉSIDENT La diversité des êtres vivants, ou « biodiversité », est devenue l’une des principales caractéristiques de la biosphère que valorise la société. Cependant, la quantification, l’évaluation et la description des objectifs et des valeurs de conservation et la quantification de notre impact sur la biodiversité peuvent s’avérer un défi de taille. La biodiversité, quelle que soit sa valeur, est un concept difficile à définir et à mesurer. Il est possible de mesurer indirectement les valeurs de la biodiversité en faisant appel à des indicateurs et à des critères. Les concepts tels que « fragmentation », « endémisme » et « représentation » sont utiles, car ils offrent un cadre de travail à l’intérieur duquel il est possible de mesurer les effets de l’intervention humaine et de définir des aires de conservation susceptibles de maintenir la biodiversité à une certaine échelle. Pour mieux comprendre ces questions, NCASI a participé à une revue de critères et d’indicateurs utilisés par les organismes internationaux de conservation pour définir les priorités de conservation reliées à la biodiversité que le Yale School of Forestry avait déjà analysés et qui a subséquemment donné lieu à la publication de ces critères et indicateurs en 2005. La présente étude est un prolongement de ces travaux antérieurs.Nous passons en revue ces mêmes critères de conservation, mais nous les évaluons sur une base scientifique lorsqu’ils se prêtent à une telle évaluation. Certains critères sont directement mesurables et quantifiables et ont un rapport direct avec certains aspects de la biodiversité. D’autres critères sont plutôt relatifs et sont davantage reliés aux normes et aux désirs sociaux ou aux perceptions du public qu’aux connaissances scientifiques en matière d’écologie et d’environnement. Dans la mesure du possible, nous séparons explicitement ces deux influences (écologique/environnementale ou sociale) dans le rapport. Si le critère repose sur des bases scientifiques, nous l’avons relié au document pertinent dans la littérature. Finalement, nous relions les critères de conservation à l’aménagement forestier et aux aspects de la recherche en foresterie et de l’utilisation des forêts qui permettraient de respecter ces critères et, par conséquent, de contribuer à préserver la biodiversité à long terme. Dans le présent rapport, nous faisons également ressortir les lacunes en matière d’information et de recherche dans l’espoir de soulever de nouvelles questions qui donneront lieu à la mise sur pied de programmes de recherche destinés à combler ces besoins. Bien que cette étude mette l’accent sur le lien qui existe entre l’aménagement forestier et la biodiversité dans un contexte canadien, les concepts et les conclusions de cette étude peuvent s’appliquer plus largement dans tout contexte lié à l’aménagement forestier. Ronald A. Yeske Avril 2011 National Council for Air and Stream Improvement THE ROLE OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IN MAINTAINING CONSERVATION VALUES TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 983 APRIL 2011 ABSTRACT Biodiversity is a key concept in conservation biology and a prime target for conservation efforts across the globe. In North America forest management planning and operations have been under intense scrutiny to ensure the maintenance and sometimes enhancement of biodiversity in every area of operation. Forest management policy and guidelines and public and private forest certification schemes have been developed to take biodiversity into consideration, and contribute to extensive efforts to plan for the adequate protection of biodiversity. However, biodiversity is difficult to conceptualize, and therefore more difficult to quantify. As a result, numerous criteria and indicators have been developed and selected that if measured and maintained on a landscape, would be expected to conserve biodiversity. Based on a report by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the following 12 criteria were examined: 1. Representation 2. Species richness 3. Species endemism 4. Rarity 5. Significant or outstanding ecological or evolutionary processes 6. Presence of special species or taxa 7. Threatened species 8. Species decline 9. Habitat loss 10. Fragmentation 11. Large intact areas 12. High and low future threat. The purpose of this report is to link a selection of these criteria to their scientific underpinnings, by examining the published scientific literature that underscores them. The basis for each criterion (ecological/environmental or social) is described, and where notable, uncertainties are noted. Findings suggest that there are at least three categories into which the criteria can be examined (species, landscape, and future threat), relatively few can be quantified in a meaningful way, and most of them are significantly inter-related and confounded. Finally, the report highlights a number of research areas that need to be explored to better link forest management to biodiversity. KEYWORDS biodiversity, criteria, endangered species, endemism, forest management, fragmentation, habitat, indicators, intact areas, rarity, representation, threat, values RELATED NCASI PUBLICATIONS Technical Bulletin No. 885. (August 2004). Managing Elements of Biodiversity in Sustainable Forestry Programs: Status and Utility of NatureServe’s Information Resources to Forest Managers. National Council for Air and Stream Improvement LE RÔLE DE L’AMÉNAGEMENT FORESTIER DANS LE MAINTIEN DES VALEURS DE CONSERVATION BULLETIN TECHNIQUE NO 983 APRIL 2011 RÉSUMÉ La biodiversité est un concept important dans la biologie de la conservation et une priorité dans les efforts de conservation à l’échelle mondiale. En Amérique du Nord, on scrute à la loupe